2024-2033 statewide plan for preserving Oregon’s historic places released

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office has released the 2024-2033 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan. The statewide plan offers a comprehensive approach to preserving special traditions, collections and places, and describes how to coordinate the efforts of the many people and organizations involved in this vital work.

The plan highlights four key issues:

• Building the Heritage Community: Strengthen organizations that preserve our past by supporting the development of their leaders, staff, and volunteers and their connections to an increasingly diverse community.
• Preservation Planning: Identifying, Evaluating, Designating, and Treating Cultural Resources: Save historic places that represent Oregon’s history by identifying them, planning for their future, and finding more resources for their preservation.
• Federal, State, and Local Government: Statutes, Rules, Ordinances, and Processes: Increase government efficiency, transparency, and accountability in administrating cultural resource laws and encourage agencies to support preservation efforts.
• Information Technology Tools: Develop statewide technology resources, including a public web-based database and submission system to manage federal and state programs and digitize historical documents, collections, and research materials held at institutions across the state.

The plan includes goals and objectives to address each issue, and work to include more people and broaden the scope of the history preserved it threaded through the response to each issue. 

People who are doing the work of preserving and sharing Oregon’s historic resources are referred to in the plan as the heritage community, and they are the people who help achieve the goals of the statewide plans. These include federal, local, and tribal governments and local landmark commissions, museums, archives, libraries, historical societies, educational institutions, advocacy groups, and building, design, finance, and real estate professionals, and other people and organizations that understand the value of these resources in Oregon’s communities. The plan emphasizes how these actors can take action and work together to enhance livability, community connection, and economic development through preservation of and access to cultural resources. 

The plan also highlights how people and organizations can use the plan to enhance their efforts. Access the 2024-2033 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan online at oregonheritage.org in English and Spanish. Printed copies can be requested by emailing Oregon.heritage@oprd.oregon.gov or calling 503-986-0690.

To develop the issues, goals and objectives, the SHPO used several engagement methods including an online public survey, online public input sessions (including general topics and specific topics like disaster resilience and diversity and inclusion), online meetings with agencies, local governments, state committees and commissions, Tribes and other statewide and regional organizations. 

Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), includes the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The Oregon SHPO locally administers National Park Service (NPS) programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including the identification and designation of historic properties and archaeological sites; tax and grant programs; and the Certified Local Government Program (CLG), a partnership program between local jurisdictions and the state and federal government. The SHPO office is funded in part through a grant from NPS.

The SHPO also coordinates closely with other Oregon Heritage programs, including the Oregon Heritage Commission and Oregon Main Street, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, and various grant and technical assistance programs. SHPO is also guided by the Oregon Heritage Plan and the mission and goals of OPRD.

To learn more about the Oregon SHPO and Oregon Heritage programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org.